Two nationally known health care policy thinkers will be in Vermont this week, engaging in a debate over health care organized by the Janus forum at UVM.(VPR.net)

One of the two figures mentioned above is Robert Kuttner, co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect and author of Obama’s Challenge: America’s Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency. He’ll be arguing on the side of single-payer, universal health care. He’ll be debating Arnold Kling of the Conservative think tank the Cato Institute, who, in his own VPR interview, tossed off scary Conservative buzzwords like “rationing,” “bureaucrats,” and “loss of choice” (irony, anyone?) without actually offering any new ideas—unless “that won’t work” counts as an idea.

Update: David Corn, Washington bureau chief of Mother Jones magazine, replaced Robert Kuttner in the debate; Robert was forced to withdraw due to illness (which actually sort of underscores the need for a good healthcare safety net in this country). Feel better, Bob!